Week 8, Chapter 8

It's hard to believe that this is the final week of our book study.  We have greatly appreciated the insight you have all shared throughout.  This week, you will be tying it all together:  reflecting on the work you've done, and becoming a more intentional teacher. Children love and need to play, but they don't always know how.  During the past 8 weeks, you have developed/considered for fall strategies for supporting children's learning through play.  Keep up the incredible work that you are doing!

 Lisa Murphy (A.K.A. Ooey Gooey Lady), has presented at WECA during the past 2 years.  She has a great website that is full of useful articles, resources and blogs.  One of my favorite visuals is her "House of Higher Learning".  She notes that "The house of higher learning is supported by a foundation of play!".

Enjoy building that foundation.

You will be getting an email with these final instructions but I am including them here as well so they won't be missed. 

Hi, Since this is our last week for the Play book group you will have until next Monday, August 15 to add comments or resources. The last thing you will need to do is complete the Impact Survey which follows. This is also in an Evaluation Tab on the blog. 

We really appreciate all who actively participated in this book group. IF you did not get to read the book please try to find the time to do so on your own - we think that you will find it beneficial. The blog will continue to be available to you so you will be able to access all the comments and resources on play that are on it . 

The Impact Survey requires your name - completing that was an expectation we laid out at the beginning of the book study. Once you have completed the Impact Survey we will check that you commented and or suggested a resource and then you will get your certificate which will reflect 15 hours of professional development.  We understand that since it is summer you may not have seen any change in students as the survey asks but please be reflective on how your change in future practices might change outcomes for students. Thanks again for some great participation. Those taking it for credit will need to follow up on all your requirements which are also on a tab in the blog and were outlined in an email from Cindy last week. Thanks, Beth and Cindy

Impact Survey:  https://goo.gl/forms/YqSKX7siS5K5dqqf1

Week 7: Chapter 7 – Planning Your Role

This is a short chapter but deserves a lot of thought. I assume that often we  wonder about what our role is as children are playing – debating if we should enter children’s  play or not (and I imagine contemplating  IF we enter what should we be doing.)  I suspect as you read this chapter you will appreciate the delineation of the roles you can take! Taking this a step further is being able to describe to parents and co-workers what their role might be with a particular child. Enjoy this chapter! 

And here is another article on play. So nice to see people are getting it!
In a recent @EducationWeek story, Erikson pres./CEO Geoffrey Nagle says play is a critical part of early learning http://http://www.erikson.edu/news/play-is-a-critical-part-of-early-learning-nagle-says/

   Welcome to Week 6!!  We appreciate all of the time and thought each of you has spent completing the play checklist over the past two weeks.  This book study has given us the opportunity to slow down and really observe a child in our care, as well as to reflect on our own understanding about play and our reactions to children when they don’t know how to play. 

     Have you noticed that family tips are included in each area of the play checklist?  Are any of you currently using some of these tips, or planning to use them, with families?  Another great resource for families is http://families.naeyc.org/.    This site contains tips, resources, blogs and articles about learning and development, as well as many other great topics.  One article that describes what meaningful play is for families can be found at http://families.naeyc.org/learning-and-development/child-development/five-essentials-meaningful-play.

     This week, we will be focusing on Chapter 6:  Planning Your Focus and Strategies.  Now that you have completed the play list, the chapter will guide you to set goals and plan activities for your focus child.  A goal setting form is available on p. 68 to guide you through the goal-setting process.  There are many suggested strategies to support children during play in any given play checklist section, or you may decide to use another strategy.  Sometimes talking with a colleague or a team about your observations and thoughts can be helpful.  

     Enjoy, and have a great week.

Week 5 is upon us! This week we will be finishing up Chapter 5, reading pages 48-65. It will guide you through the rest of the Play Checklist. We have really appreciated all the comments and insights as you started to consider using the Checklist. When I did this book study once before, participants actually were considering using data from the Checklist to do an SLO (Student Learning Objective) for  Educator Effectiveness. Imagine the message having an SLO around PLAY sends!! Keep in mind that this checklist is part of a continuous cycle of improvement. As pointed out in PLAY The Pathway from Theory to Practice a companion book to When Play Isn't Easy by the same authors there are several steps to this cycle:
1. Observe and assess
2. Evaluate play skills
3. Write a goal
4. Plan and implement activities
5. Repeat the process.
As we move on in the book it will help us with steps beyond evaluating. The authors also caution that this checklist "is not intended to diagnose developmental delays. Instead, it should be used to assess, evaluate, plan, and assist in monitoring growth. "

More about assessing play can be found in an article from NAEYC "Assessing and Scaffolding Make-Believe Play" which I have given the link below. The article describes five stages in play: Plan, Roles, Props, Extended Time Frame, Language and Scenario. https://www.naeyc.org/files/yc/file/201201/Leong_Make_Believe_Play_Jan2012.pdf

WEEK 4: Start Chapter 5, pages 34-48

Before talking about this chapter I have to say I am so impressed with the thoughtfulness and passion I am reading in your comments. Participants are even reflecting as they watch children play while on vacation. We are so fortunate to have so many dedicated individuals working with young children in this state. Thank You!!!

Last week in Chapter 4, we reflected on children who had difficulty playing well with other children, as well as factors that contribute to play difficulties.  Some of those factors include culture, gender, temperament, lack of experience, exposure to trauma and special needs. 

It is critical that teachers and caregivers realize the importance of helping children be successful during play and developing social skills, including joining a group to play, pretending, taking turns, and interacting with other children appropriately. 

We would like to share a summary from the 2010 WI ACES (Adverse Childhood Experiences Study) about the importance of positive early childhood experiences:

 In recent years, we have learned a great deal about the importance of childhood experiences to lifelong well-being. Early experiences have a broader and more profound impact than most of us would ever guess. Everyday interactions

and experiences in infancy and childhood greatly influence the architecture of our developing brains and our subsequent emotional, cognitive, social and neurobiological functioning. In short, these early experiences affect the way we view ourselves and our world, the way we learn, how we cope with life’s stressors, and how we form relationships throughout our lives. Positive experiences in childhood often lead to healthy and productive adulthood. Unfortunately, negative experiences can lead to poorer mental and physical health, poorer school and work success and lower socioeconomic status in adulthood. 

(Retrieved from http://wichildrenstrustfund.org/files/WisconsinACEs.pdf).

This week, you will be using the Play Checklist to help identify where a child may be having difficulty in play as well as a road map for providing strategies to support young children’s play development.   You can find a copy of the checklist on the last page of your book.  You can also download a copy by clicking on the “Play Checklist” tab on the blog.

Enjoy your observations!  We are looking forward to hearing from you about how your children play.

“Imagination is more important than knowledge”.  –Albert Einstein

WEEK 3:   Chapter 3 - The Play Surveys and Chapter 4 - Understanding Play Difficulties

This week we will be reading Chapters 3 and 4. As you read you will be reflecting on a child. Think about what you learned about the child or perhaps learned about yourself and your perception of why a child might be challenged in play. Does anything surprise you?

Chapter 4 talks about some specific influences that may be affecting a child’s play. There is another book I wanted to point out which deals more on addressing challenges in children engaging in play. 

Play is essential for children’s development and as they learn life skills. But some children face challenges when playing with others, and conflicts can erupt over sharing toys, taking turns, and feeling left out. Despite those moments, children want to play together. With your support and guidance, children can learn how to engage in productive play, resolve struggles, and enjoy group play.

This workbook outlines strategies to create an engaging play environment, provides information to help you understand skill development, and suggests ways you can encourage children’s growth through rich play. It also explains common challenges children might have during group play—like being unengaged in dramatic play, having conflicts with each other, or playing aggressively—and approaches you can use to address them. Use this interactive workbook to thoughtfully respond to play challenges in a way that can open up opportunities for children.

Screen Time

Since the subject of using screen time has come up in many of the blogs I am sharing another blog I have started which posts a lot of information about using technology with young children. I try to be open minded but tend to post more that lets us know screen time may not be a great idea for young brains and developing bodies. There is reference to blue light, children needing glasses more since they are not developing the eyesight which is built by being outside, but also lists websites so parents and lap read non-fiction books with their children... check it out- lots on there. tech4ec.blogspot.com

Milwaukee Public Schools Play Guidelines

Since many people are concerned about play disappearing in Early Childhood (which  many believe goes through age eight) I am sharing Milwaukee's position statement and guidelines on play. Note it includes 5K!  It is so exciting to see that a district values play! Here is a link to the document: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4Lub3oN31qsLUplM1dJekNqS00/view?usp=sharing 

WEEK TWO:  SHARING THE VALUE OF PLAY.  This week we will be reading CHAPTER 2, which focuses on being able to share the value of play with families, funders, colleagues, and directors/principals.  Please use this week as an opportunity to consider how you, as an advocate for how young children learn, would respond to questions about the value of play. If you have a short elevator speech ready it will be easier for you to share when someone tries to argue about the value of play.   If you are taking this course for graduate credit, developing a brief speech/discussion/powerpoint about the value of play is one of the options available to you for your final project.

There are several articles that you may find useful in addition to your reading and reflections this week.  These articles can be found in the Play Livebinder: http://www.livebinders.com/play/play?id=1717363 or use the link on the right side of this blog.

Alliance for Childhood (2009).  Crisis in the kindergarten:  Why children need to play in school. http://www.allianceforchildhood.org/sites/allianceforchildhood.org/files/file/kindergarten_report.pdf

Bartlett, T.  (2011).  The case for play:  How a handful of researchers are trying to save childhood.  http://chronicle.com/article/The-Case-for-Play/126382

There are a few other resources that might be of interest, particularly when explaining the importance of play to others:
Policies and practice:  Sharing the power of play with parents.   http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/policies-practices-sharing-power-play-parents

The value of play:  A fact sheet for families.  http://ncac.acecqa.gov.au/family-resources/factsheets/play.pdf

The power of play in the early learning environment.  http://www.teachpreschool.org/2012/07/the-power-of-play-in-the-learning-environment/

NAEYC articles on play:  http://www.naeyc.org/play

Enjoy this week's discussions.

Welcome to the When Play Isn't Easy book group.A few things to point out about this blog. Across the top of the blog you will see tabs. We will be adding resources we find or that are suggested by participants in the Resources tab. You can see who is in your group in the Class Roster tab. Cindy has a Play board on Pinterest which you can find in its tab and finally IF you are taking this for credit a copy of Cindy's email going over the expectations in in the Graduate Credit Information tab. ( you can also find links there to the form you need to fill out) We will be adding to the Evaluation tab towards the end of 8 weeks. 

Along the right side of this blog you will see the tips for using the blog including how to comment, a link to a Live Binder on Play which has umpteen quality resources and Cindy and my contact information. Finally at the bottom of the blog is where IF you would like to get weekly emails of the posts I make you can sign up otherwise you will be responsible for just checking the blog each week for the weekly suggested reading. 

Since you committed yourself to this book group and we need to be accountable for providing this as professional learning there are a few expectations (separate from taking it for credit and for those not taking it for credit.) This book has many guiding questions within each chapter which you can comment on. I might also make suggestions each week of other possible reflection prompts. Feel free to deviate from any of these to share your "ah-ha moments," "I wonders" and/or questions. 

These are the expectations in order to receive a certificate for 15 hours at the end of the 8 weeks:

• Comment at least two times over the course of 8 weeks (if you would like to contribute more please do) This can be a comment on your reflective or comment on another participant's thoughts. 
• Provide one resource that you use or found over the 8 weeks. The Live Binder is full of resources if you would like to just research one of them and comment on its usefulness. It could be a resource to use with patents to promote play, a children's book that reinforces something in the PLAY book....
• Be prepared at the end of the 8 weeks to describe how the information/conversations have impacted a change in your professional practice (or will next school year) AND what you might see happening differently with children (if you can include specific examples.) Knowing this will be difficult if you are not with children over the summer consider being creative - we will understand if you cannot apply your learning if you are not around children.

WEEK ONE: This week we are reading the Introduction andChapter 1. Please do take the Self Assessment in the Introduction and reflect on it in your book – it may help with your final analysis of how this book group impacted your professional practice. In Chapter 1 you will be connecting play to standards. If you do not have and or use the Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards here is a link to look them over: http://www.collaboratingpartners.com/wmels-about.php  If any of you have center signs which describe for adults the importance of play in each center and are willing to share those it would be a great resource for others in this book group (as described on the top of page 13.)

We are excited about the learning that will happen when this book is read and reflected upon. Because of the nature of this professional learning (via a blog) you are responsible for your own learning,  you will get out of it what you put into it. We hope that the flexibility of this type of professional development gives you an opportunity to stretch yourself with independent learning.  We look forward to go on this journey with you! 

Beth and Cindy